Connection Tool For Use With Patient Carrying Systems

ABSTRACT

A carabiner comprising a body having an opening, a closure movably coupled to the body, the closure being movable to an open position, and to a closed position in which the opening is closed by the closure such that the body and the closure define a closed shape, and an actuator, coupled to the closure and operatively connected to the body, the actuator being configured to cause the closure to move to the closed position in response to loading of the carabiner, and to cause the closure to move from the closed position to the open position in response to unloading of the carabiner.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This present application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. applicationSer. No. 11/791,916 filed on May 30, 2007, which is a 371 National PhaseApplication of PCT/CA2005/001842, filed Dec. 2, 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of medical care for patients thatare bedridden or otherwise have difficulty moving on their own. Inparticular, this invention relates to the field of patient-carryingdevices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bedridden patients generally require highly focused and specializedmedical care. As such patients are typically unable to move on theirown, caring for them usually involves the use of patient-carryingdevices. A common type of patient-carrying device is a portable systemwith a support frame that supports an overhead rail with a trolleymovably mounted thereto. The patient is placed in a harness, whichharness is connected to a loop or eye-bolt depending from the trolley.The patient is lifted, and then moved by the caregiver along theoverhead track. In this way, the patient can be moved from one locationto another (e.g. from bed to a wheelchair, or from a wheelchair to thetoilet).

Typically, the patient harness is coupled to a loop or eye-boltdepending from the track. It is common for the overhead track to be sohigh above the floor that the loop is not reachable by hand. Therefore,typically, a reaching tool is used to connect the harness with the loop.A typical reaching tool consists of a handle fixedly attached to a hookfrom which the strap for the harness depends. Once the hook is hookedonto the loop, the patient is moved with the handle still attached tothe hook.

This configuration presents a number of problems. First, the elongatehandle of the reaching tool remains attached to the harness strap whilethe patient-carrying device is in use. This presents safety concerns,because it is possible for the caregiver to be struck by the handle asthe trolley is moved. In addition, the elongate handle can easily strikewalls or furniture as the trolley is moved, thus causing damage andinconvenience.

In addition, the prior art hook that connects to the loop is typically afixed open hook. Such hooks are used because, since the loop istypically out of reach, and the reaching tool must be used, the hook canonly be anchored to and unanchored from the loop if the hook is an openhook. However, regulations in many jurisdictions require that any hookor carabiner used in the carrying of patients must form a closed shape,to ensure that the hook does not slip off and cause the patient to fall.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,955 (“Katsma”) discloses a carabiner for use bymountain climbers. The carabiner includes a body and a latch, as well asa trigger. The trigger forces the latch to a closed position in responseto loading. Absent a load, there is a biasing element that biases thelatch to an open position when the latch is at least three quartersopen, and otherwise biases the latch to a closed position. Thus, thebiasing element is bidirectional, urging the latch in differentdirections depending on the latch's position.

The trigger and biasing element are positioned at the top of thecarabiner and thus distal from the load (typically the climber or hispack) positioned below the carabiner. The trigger is actuated by theconnector connecting the carabiner to the object above it.

The carabiner of Katsma, however, does not solve the problems describedabove. For example, the carabiner of Katsma, once closed, must be pushedopen by hand in order to overcome the biasing element. However, asexplained above, the loops to which patients are typically attachedoften cannot be reached by hand. Also, the trigger being distal from theload makes it difficult to unhook the carabiner from the object above,because the connector is connected through the trigger.

Other carabiners, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,576,352and 1,010,952, also do not solve the problems that arise with patientcarrying devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, what is required is a carabiner or similar attachment devicewhich can be efficiently connected to a patient-carrying track at apoint that may not be reachable by hand, and can also be easilydisconnected from the track conveniently. The carabiner should meet thesafety requirements associated with carabiners used withpatient-carrying devices. The invention also preferably includes aconnection tool for connecting the carabiner to the patient-carryingdevice.

Therefore, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided acarabiner for bearing a load and for anchoring the load to an object,the carabiner comprising:

-   -   a body having an internal space, the body having an opening for        admitting the object to the internal space and for withdrawing        the object from the internal space, the body being sized, shaped        and positioned to bear the load and to anchor to an object;    -   a closure movably coupled to the body, the closure being movable        to an open position, and to a closed position in which the        opening is closed by the closure such that the body and the        closure define a closed shape;    -   an actuator, coupled to the closure and operatively connected to        the body, the actuator being configured to cause the closure to        move to the closed position in response to loading of the        carabiner, and to cause the closure to move from the closed        position to the open position in response to unloading of the        carabiner.

Preferably, the actuator includes a biasing element, coupled to theclosure, for urging the closure to said fully open position. Preferably,the actuator further comprises a trigger coupled to the closure and tothe body, the trigger being sized, shaped and positioned to move theclosure to the closed position in response to loading of the carabiner.Preferably, the trigger and biasing element are sized, shaped, andpositioned to move the closure to the closed position in response toloading of the carabiner by overcoming the urging of the biasingelement. Preferably, the biasing element is operatively connected to thetrigger, and the trigger is operatively connected to the closure.Preferably, the biasing element comprises one or more springs bearing onthe body and on the trigger. Preferably, the trigger is sized, shapedand positioned such that the trigger moves in response to the loading ofthe carabiner, and said movement of the trigger causes the closure tomove to the closed position. Preferably, the closure is rotatablymounted to the body. Preferably, the closure and actuator are sized,shaped and positioned so that the closure rotates in response to anactuator movement. Preferably, the biasing element is sized, shaped andpositioned to be unidirectional, whereby the biasing element urges theclosure toward the open position and not toward the closed position.Preferably, the carabiner further includes an axle mounted to the body,and wherein the closure is rotatably mounted on the axle. Preferably,the springs and trigger are sized, shaped and positioned so that thesprings are compressed when the closure is in the closed position.Preferably, the springs and trigger are sized, shaped and positioned sothat the springs are compressed when the carabiner is bearing the load.Preferably, the actuator is positioned on the carabiner proximal to theload. Preferably, the carabiner includes a closure holder, the closureand closure holder being sized, shaped and mutually positioned such thatthe closure holder releasably holds the closure in the closed position.Preferably, the trigger includes a connector receiver for receiving aconnector for use in connecting the carabiner to the patient.Preferably, the connector receiver comprises a slot in said trigger.Preferably, the slot is configured to receive a strap acting as theconnector. Preferably, the body includes a connector access forpermitting access to the connector receiver.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided aconnection tool for connecting to an object a carabiner that has aninternal space and a carabiner opening for admitting the object to theinternal space, the tool comprising:

-   -   a support structure having a support opening sized and shaped to        permit the carabiner to be received and supported by the support        structure and withdrawn from the support structure, the support        structure being sized and shaped to hold the carabiner while        leaving the carabiner opening unobstructed such that the object        can be admitted to the internal space through the carabiner        opening;    -   a handle connected to the support structure, whereby the        carabiner can be connected to or disconnected from an object not        reachable by hand using the tool.

Preferably, the handle is length-adjustable. Preferably, thelength-adjustable handle is telescopically extendible and contractable.Preferably, the handle further includes a stopper for selectively fixingthe length of the handle. Preferably, the stopper comprises a threadedring tightener. Preferably, the support structure includes a connectoropening therein for receiving a connector depending from the carabiner,whereby a strap or other connector depending from the carabiner fits inthe connector opening and thus does not interfere with the connectionand disconnection of the carabiner using the tool. Preferably, theconnector opening is contiguous with the insertion opening. In anotheraspect of the invention, there is provided a method of loading a patientonto an overhead patient-carrying device, the method comprising thesteps of:

-   -   connecting a carabiner to the overhead patient carrying device        using the connection tool; withdrawing said tool from said        carabiner such that the carabiner remains connected to the        patient-carrying device; attaching a patient to the carabiner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be illustrated by way of example only, in theattached drawings, which show the preferred embodiment of the invention,and in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a prior art attachment device for usewith a patient-carrying device;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carabiner according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a second perspective view of the carabiner according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the carabiner taken along line 4-4of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is the same cross-sectional view of the carabiner as FIG. 4, butshows the closure in the closed position;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the connection tool according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a second perspective view of the connection tool according tothe present invention;

FIG. 8 is a close-up perspective view of a top portion of the connectiontool according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a close-up plan view of a portion of the connector tool'shandle;

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of a support structure;

FIG. 11 is a cross-section view along live. 11-11 of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 12 is a side elevation view of the carbiner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1, a prior art configuration of a device forcarrying a patient across a floor 1 is shown. The patient-carryingdevice shown in FIG. 1 includes a harness 2 for holding a patient (notshown) as the patient is transported across the floor. The harness 2 isconnected to the eye-bolt 6 via the strap 3, which is hooked onto thehook 5, which hook is hooked to the eye-bolt 6. Eye-bolt 6 is attachedto a trolley (not shown) positioned within the track 8. As the eye-bolt6 is often not reachable by hand because of its height, the handle orreaching arm 4, which is fixed to the hook 5, is used to hook the hook 5onto the eye-bolt 6. The reaching arm 4, being fixed to the hook,remains in place while the patient-carrying device is used to move thepatient from one location on to another.

The eye-bolt 6 is attached to the trolley which can move in either oftwo directions along the overhead track 8. The track 8 is supported inits raised position by a support frame (not shown).

The hook 5 is an open hook, i.e. it does not define a closed shape. Thispermits the hook 5 to be hooked and unhooked from the eye-bolt 6 usingthe reaching arm 4.

Referring now to FIGS. 2-5, a carabiner 10 for bearing a load, and foranchoring the load to an object, is shown. The object preferably takesthe form of loop 11, which connects the carabiner to a patient-carryingdevice (not shown). It will be appreciated that the inventioncomprehends other types of objects besides the loop 11. For example, theobject may comprise an eye-bolt. What is important is that the carabinercan anchor the load to the object. The carabiner 10 includes a body 12which is sized, shaped and positioned to bear the load and anchor to anobject. The carabiner 10 further includes a trigger 14 having aconnector receiver in the form of slot 16, formed in the trigger 14, forreceiving a connector in the form of the strap 17 shown in dottedoutline in FIG. 3. It will be appreciated that the strap 17 functions toconnect a patient harness (not shown) to the carabiner 10.

The trigger 14 is movably coupled to the body 12, as well as to theclosure 20, which closure, in the preferred embodiment, takes the formof an elongate element rotatably mounted to the body 12 by means of theaxle 21. The axle 21 is mounted to and extends through both the body 12and the closure 20 so that the closure is rotatably mounted to the axle21 and to the body 12. The closure 20 is sized, shaped, and positionedto leave open the opening 18 in the body 12 when in its open position,and to close the opening 18 when in the closed position. The opening 18functions to admit an object into the internal space 19 of the carabiner10, and in particular, of the body 12. It will be appreciated that, inits preferred use, the carabiner 10 anchors to an object, such as astrap loop 11 depending from a trolley mounted to the overhead rail of aportable patient-carrying device. It will be appreciated, however, thatthe carabiner 10 may be used with other types of patient-carryingdevices, or with other types of loads besides patients, and still becomprehended by the invention.

This anchoring preferably takes place by the loop 11 being admittedthrough the opening 18 into the internal space 19. In turn, the patientharness is connected to the carabiner 10 by means of the strap 17received within the slot 16. The slot 16 and the trigger 14 are sized,shaped, and positioned to line the slot 16 up with the connector access15 formed within the body 12. It will be appreciated that the connectoraccess 15 provides access for the connector that connects the carabinerand the patient harness. In the preferred embodiment, this connectorcomprises the strap 17, but it will be appreciated that the inventioncomprehends other types of connectors, connector receivers, andconnector accesses which take forms other than the preferred formsherein described.

The closure 20 most preferably further includes a latch 22 sized,shaped, and positioned so that when the closure 20 moves to the closedposition, the latch 22 is releasably held within the closure holder,which takes the form of notch 24 in the body 12. Notch 24 is mostpreferably positioned adjacent to the opening 18. The latch 22 mostpreferably takes the form of an elongate member extending across thewidth of the closure 20 that is sized, shaped, and positioned to bereleasably gripped by the notch 24 in the closed position. It will beappreciated that the invention comprehends configurations for theclosure 20 without the latch 22, and configurations of the carabiner 10that do not include the preferred notch 24 for gripping the latch. Whatis important is that the closure 20 be movable to a closed position,and, preferably, that the carabiner 10 include a closure holder that issized, shaped, and mutually positioned with the closure such that theclosure holder releasably holds the closure in the closed position.

The trigger 14 is preferably positioned within the body 12 and coupledthereto, so that the slot 16 lines up with the access 15. As can be seenmost clearly in FIGS. 4 and 5, the trigger 14 is mounted within the bodyand is coupled to a biasing element that preferably takes the form ofone or more springs 26, and most preferably two springs 26, operativelyconnected to the trigger 14. The springs 26 preferably comprise coilsprings coiled around spring support shafts 28, the springs 26 beingoperatively connected to the body 12. Preferably, the springs 26 bearagainst the body 12 to bear against and exert a force on the trigger 14.

The trigger 14 is operatively connected to the closure 20, preferably bymeans of the trigger teeth 30 of the trigger 14 mated with closure teeth32 of the closure 20. Thus, as the trigger 14 moves, the trigger teeth30 bear on the closure teeth 32, thus moving the closure 20, by rotatingit about the axle 21. In the preferred embodied shown in FIGS. 2-5, thesprings 26, the trigger 14, and the closure 20 are sized, shaped, andpositioned so that the closure is biased to an open position. Thus, thesprings 26 are coupled to the body 12, preferably indirectly via thetrigger 14. Then, as the trigger 14 is moved so as to compress thesprings 26, the closure 20 is rotated to the closed position.

It will be appreciated that the invention comprehends other ways ofcoupling of the trigger 14 to the closure 20 besides the preferred teethdescribed above. For example, the coupling could be accomplished by arivet coupling the trigger and the closure. The invention alsocomprehends a configuration wherein the trigger 14 causes the movementof the closure 20 without movement of the trigger 14 itself.

It will also be appreciated that the trigger 14 and biasing element neednot take the preferred form described herein. Other forms arecomprehended by the invention. For example, the trigger 14 can be formedwith the closure 20 in a single piece. The biasing element may take theform of one or more springs, which may be integral with the trigger orthe closure. Alternatively, the biasing element could take more complexforms, such as, for example, an electronic sensor that causes apneumatic system to hold the closure open unless a load is sensed, inwhich case, the closure is caused to close. It will be appreciated thatsuch a biasing element configuration is not preferred, because it ismore expensive and complex than the preferred form described herein.What is important is that the closure close in response to carabinerload and open in response to carabiner unloading.

In operation, the strap 17 is threaded through the slot 16 and emergeson both sides of the body 12 from the connector access 15. When thepatient is connected to the strap 17, or the carabiner is otherwiseloaded, the strap 17 forces the trigger 14 to move (preferablydownward), so as to compress the springs 26. As the trigger 14 moves,the trigger teeth 30 act on the closure teeth 32 to cause the closure 20to rotate to the closed position. Thus, the closure is moved to theclosed position in response to loading of the carabiner 10. The springs26 are compressed when the closure is in the closed position and thecarabiner 10 is loaded. When the carabiner 10 is unloaded, the springs26 expand because the load is no longer forcing them to compress. Thetrigger 14 moves (preferably upward) because of the force of the springs26, and by means of the teeth 30, 32, the closure is rotated to the openposition. Thus, in response to the unloading of the carabiner 10, theclosure 20 is moved from the closed position to the open position. Thesprings 26 function to bias the closure 20 to the open position.

It will be appreciated that the trigger 14 and biasing element(preferably in the form of springs 26) function together as an actuatorconfigured to cause the closure 20 to move to the closed position inresponse to the loading of the carabiner 10, and to cause the closure 20to move from the open position to the closed position in response to thecarabiner being unloaded. The actuator, therefore, preferably comprisesa biasing element, preferably coupled to the closure 20 and to the body12, for urging the closure to the fully open position, and a trigger 14,preferably coupled to the closure and to the body, which trigger ispreferably sized, shaped and positioned to move the closure to theclosed position in response to loading of the carabiner.

It will be appreciated that the “closed position” is the position of theclosure in which the object (preferably the loop depending from thetrolley) cannot be withdrawn via the opening 18 from the internal space19 of the body 12. The “open position” comprises the range of positionsof the closure 20, which permit the object (preferably the loop) to bewithdrawn via the opening 18 from the internal space 19 of the body 12.

It will also be appreciated that the biasing element is preferablyconfigured to be unidirectional, i.e. it biases the closure in thedirection of the open position, and not in the direction of the closedposition. This configuration is to be contrasted with bi-directionalbiasing elements, including those that bias the closure 20 to an openposition when the closure 20 is in some positions within its range ofmotion, and to a closed position when the closure 20 is at otherpositions. Thus, in the preferred embodiment, the unidirectional biasingelement urges the closure 20 to the open position, including when theclosure 20 is in the closed position.

Preferably, the actuator is positioned proximal to rather than distalfrom the load. Thus, in the case of the carabiner 10 used to anchor apatient to a patient-carrying device, the load is positioned below thecarabiner 10. The actuator is preferably positioned at the bottom of thebody 12 rather than the top, i.e., proximal to the load rather thandistal from it.

It will be appreciated that the actuator need not take the preferredform of the trigger and biasing element. The invention comprehends otherforms for the actuator. For example, the actuator could comprise anelectromechanical device that closes the closure 20 in the response to aload and opens it in response to unloading.

Referring now to FIGS. 6-12, a preferred form of the connector tool 33is shown. The connector tool includes a support structure 34 having aninsertion opening 35 sized and shaped to permit the insertion andwithdrawal from the support structure of a carabiner 10 that has aninternal space 19, as well as a carabiner opening 18 for admitting tothe internal space an object to be connected to the carabiner. Thesupport structure 34 is also sized and shaped to hold the carabiner 10within the support structure after insertion while leaving the carabineropening 18 unobstructed, so that the object (not shown) can be admittedto the internal space. The preferred support structure 34 is sized andshaped to receive and support the preferred carabiner 10, though theinvention comprehends that the support structure 34 can be sized andshaped for use with any carabiner that can be anchored to an object.

The preferred support structure 34 includes two support walls 36, 38,and a support floor 39, which support a carabiner inserted therein fromthe rear (i.e. against the portion of the body opposite the opening), aswell as from underneath and from the sides of the bottom half of thecarabiner. However, it will be appreciated that the support structure issized and shaped so that when the carabiner 10 is contained within thesupport structure 34, the carabiner opening 18 is accessible so as topermit an object to be hooked or anchored into the carabiner 10 via thecarabiner opening 18.

The tool 33 further preferably includes a telescopically extendiblehandle comprising two handle portions 42, 46. In the preferredembodiment, the portion 46 fits telescopically within the portion 42.The handle is thus extendible by partially extracting portion 46 fromportion 42, and contractable by inserting portion 46 further intoportion 42.

The tool 33 further preferably includes a stopper in the form of athreaded tightening ring 44 for releasably fixing the length of thehandle. In the preferred embodiment, the threaded ring 44 is mounted toa compressible threaded end portion 45 of the portion 42. The portion 43has threading 43. When the ring 44 is tightened, the end portion 45compresses against the portion 46, so that the portions 46 and 42 areheld stationary relative to one another, and the length of the handle isfixed until the ring 44 is loosened. The ring thus stops the portions42, 46 from moving relative to one another.

It will be appreciated that, though preferred, the invention comprehendshandles that are not length adjustable.

The tool 33 further preferably includes a connector opening 48 thereinfor receiving a connector depending from the carabiner 10. Preferably,the connector is a strap 17 for connecting the carabiner to a patientharness. Thus, the connector opening 48 preferably takes the form of aslit between the walls 36, 38, and through the floor 39, the slit beingsized and shaped to receive a strap 17.

The connector opening 48 functions to receive the connector thatconnects the carabiner 10 to the patient harness. It will be appreciatedthat the connector, if not received within the opening 48, couldinterfere with the carabiner 10 being properly supported within thesupport structure 34. For example, in the case where the connector takesthe form of a strap 17, if the preferred carabiner 10 were inserted intothe support structure 34, the strap 17 would bunch up within the supportstructure, thus interfering with the insertion and support of thecarabiner 10 within the support structure. However, the connectoropening 48 permits the strap 17 to be received within the opening 48 sothat the strap 17 does not bunch within the support structure 34.

Most preferably, the opening 48 is contiguous with the opening 35. Itwill be appreciated that this permits efficient use of the tool 33 tounhook the carabiner from the loop depending from trolley of thepatient-carrying device. Specifically, after the patient has beenremoved from the harness, the strap 17 depending from the carabiner 10will be hanging loosely downward. To unhook the carabiner from the loop,a user can take the tool and slide the strap 17 into the opening 48.Then using the strap 17 as a guide, the user can move the tool 33 upwarduntil the carabiner enters the support structure 34 through the opening35. Because the strap 17 was received through the slit 48, the strapdoes not interfere with the carabiner 10 entering the support structure34 through the opening 35 and being supported within the supportstructure 34. The tool is then moved slightly higher still, and thenmoved sideways, to unhook the carabiner from the loop by having the loopexit the opening 18 of the carabiner. The tool 33 can then be withdrawnso that the user can remove the carabiner from the support structure 34(e.g. by hand).

It will be appreciated that the support structure 34 can have adifferent configuration than the preferred configuration describedabove, while still being comprehended by the invention. For example, thestructure 34 could comprise a magnet that attracts a magnet on theunderside of the carabiner 10. The support opening 35 would, in thiscase, comprise the open space adjacent the magnet that permits access bythe carabiner magnet. What is important is that the support structure beconfigured to hold the carabiner while leaving the carabiner openingunobstructed.

Although not required, the tool 33 preferably includes a supplementaryholder. Most preferably, the holder takes the form of two grippers 50,one flexibly mounted to each wall 36, 38. The grippers 50 eachpreferably comprise an arm 52 flexibly attached to the wall (36, 38)with a protrusion 54 depending from the arm.

Preferably, the carabiner 10 includes two cavities 56 positioned one oneach side of the carabiner 10 so as to line up with the protrusions 54on each wall 36-38 when the carabiner is inserted fully into thestructure 34. As the carabiner 10 is inserted into the structure 34, theprotrusions 54 contact the carabiner and the arms are flexed outwardaway from the carabiner 10. When insertion is completed, the protrusions54 line up with the cavities 56 and the arms flex back toward thecarabiner 10 with the protrusions 54 entering the cavities 56 so as toremovably hold the carabiner 10 in the structure 34. The protrusions 54and cavities 56 are sized, shaped, and positioned so that when force isapplied by the human arm to remove the carabiner 10 from the structure34, the protrusions pop out of the cavities and the carabiner isremoved.

It will be appreciated that the invention comprehends other types ofsupplementary holders. For example, the supplementary holder couldcomprise a magnet inside the structure 34 that is attracted to a magneton the carabiner. What is important is that the supplementary holderfunction to hold the carabiner more firmly (yet still removably) withinthe carabiner.

While the foregoing embodiments of the present invention have been setforth in considerable detail, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that various modifications can be made to the invention withoutdeparting from the scope of the attached claims. Some of thesevariations are discussed above and others will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art. For example, the body 12 of the carabiner 10, aswell as the actuator, may take forms different from the preferred formsdescribed above, and still be comprehended by the invention. What isimportant is that the closure be closed in response to loading of thecarabiner 10, and opened in response to unloading of the carabiner 10.

1. A connection tool for connecting to an object a carabiner that has aninternal space and a carabiner opening for admitting the object to theinternal space, the tool comprising: a support structure having asupport opening sized and shaped to permit the carabiner to be receivedand supported by the support structure and withdrawn from the supportstructure, the support structure being sized and shaped to hold thecarabiner while leaving the carabiner opening unobstructed such that theobject can be admitted to the internal space through the carabineropening; a handle connected to the support structure, whereby thecarabiner can be connected to or disconnected from an object notreachable by hand using the tool.
 2. A tool as claimed in claim 1,wherein the handle is length-adjustable.
 3. A connection tool as claimedin claim 2, wherein the length-adjustable handle is telescopicallyextendible and contractable.
 4. A connection tool as claimed in claim 2,wherein the handle further includes a stopper for selectively fixing thelength of the handle.
 5. A connection tool as claimed in claim 4,wherein the stopper comprises a threaded ring tightener.
 6. A connectiontool as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support structure includes aconnector opening therein for receiving a connector depending from thecarabiner, whereby a strap or other connector depending from thecarabiner fits in the connector opening and thus does not interfere withthe connection and disconnection of the carabiner using the tool.
 7. Aconnection tool as claimed in claim 6, wherein the connector opening iscontiguous with the insertion opening.
 8. A method of loading a patientonto an overhead patient-carrying device, the method comprising thesteps of: connecting a carabiner to the overhead patient carrying deviceusing the connection tool of claim 1; withdrawing said tool from saidcarabiner such that the carabiner remains connected to thepatient-carrying device; attaching a patient to the carabiner.